Beginnings
by cojack
Summary: C/7. Icheb and Jaxa seek advice from Seven and Chakotay. Set in the universe described in "That Good Night". Contains five short chapters and an author's postscript in the last chapter.
1. Chapter 1 - Sand Castles

DISCLAIMER: It's Paramount's galaxy.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: C/7. Icheb and Jaxa seek advice from Seven and Chakotay. Set in the universe described in "That Good Night". Contains five short chapters and an author's postscript in the last chapter.

#

Beginnings

Stardate 58415.8

# Chapter 1 – Sand Castles

Seven paused to consider her response. One-year old Ixchell was playing in a nearby sand box and Seven sat with Starfleet Academy Cadet Ralin Jaxa on a bench that offered a good view of the whole park. Jaxa's classes at StarfleetAcademy allowed her free time every other afternoon, and Seven was on leave from her assignment as Science Officer aboard the _Sacagawea_ for a short time while the ship was being retrofitted with a new armor defense system recently developed by Starfleet research. It was a beautiful spring afternoon in San Francisco, and the three of them were taking advantage of it.

"I would say," Seven finally said, "I was first attracted to Chakotay when he came to the holodeck on _Voyager_ to speak with me after the incident with the Borg homing beacon. I had been on _Voyager_ a few months already." Seven paused to consider further. "Actually, before that, we were discussing laughter on our way to the aeroponics bay. I also remember feeling an attraction towards him at that time as well."

Jaxa looked surprised. "That was so soon after you were disconnected from the Collective." she said.

"The first instance took place eleven days after I was disconnected," Seven stated matter-of-factly.

"I didn't know you were romantically involved for so long."

Seven turned to look at Jaxa. "You did not specify a romantic affiliation. You simply asked me when I was first attracted to Chakotay."

Jaxa shifted uncomfortably under Seven's glare. No matter how hard she tried not to be, she was still a little frightened by this ex-Borg drone. In all honesty, it was only on this current extended visit of the _Sacagawea_ in system that Jaxa had been spending time with Seven without Icheb or Chakotay with them as well. "Oh. I'm sorry Commander. I was actually wondering when you two first became involved romantically."

Seven nodded and stood to move to Ixchell in order to place a shovel closer to the toddler's outstretched hands that had been accidentally kicked away. Ixchell looked up with a big smile and grabbed the shovel. "Very well," Seven said, sitting back down. "Soon after I ended my experiments in socialization on the holodeck, I became aware that Chakotay was attracted to me as well. This was about three and a half years after my arrival on _Voyager_ and four months before we returned to the alpha quadrant."

"What sort of socialization experiments?"

Now it was Seven's turn to shift uncomfortably. "The parameters of the experiments are unimportant. What is important is that I started noticing instances where Chakotay went out of his way to be with me. Desiring to attend Neelix's cooking classes in my company, for example."

"The ambassador from New Talaxia? He cooks?"

"Oh yes. His choices are often times not to my taste, but he is quite accomplished."

Jaxa was impressed. Such a compliment coming from Seven was rare.

"I think, however," Seven continued, "it was clear we had feelings for one another after our shared adventure with the Ventu."

"Ah yes. Captain Chakotay has spoken to me about the Ventu. Actually, not too long ago on one of our hikes together. We were in a rain forest, in Belize I believe, and he remarked how much the landscape reminded him of their planet."

"Indeed. It was soon after that, just outside the mess hall after breakfast, that he asked me on our first date."

Jaxa waited for more, but Seven had returned her gaze to watch Ixchell and appeared to be finished. Now Ixchell was reaching for a bucket, and seemed unwilling to crawl to it. Seven stood again and placed the bucket closer, but just a little out of reach so Ixchell would have to still work to get it. They both watched as Ixchell finally grabbed it, filled it part way with sand, and then turned it over. She squealed upon seeing her creation, but in her excitement, accidently knocked the nascent sand castle over.

Jaxa thought of similar sand castles she built in her youth by the river on Bajor. Elaborate creations, but fleeting and not built to last. As she reflected further, it occurred to her that all creations in life are like that sand castle. Beautiful, but fragile. Care and attention must be spent in not only building the castle but in maintaining it.

"So, did you know from the start that Captain Chakotay was the one?" Jaxa eventually asked haltingly.

Seven returned to look at Jaxa. She liked Jaxa. Chakotay had taken her under his wing during the past three years. He had become a father figure of sorts in her life, this daughter of his fallen Maquis comrades. Indeed, at her upcoming commissioning ceremony, she had chosen Chakotay to administer the oath of office. Icheb and Jaxa had also become good friends and remained close. Although Jaxa still seemed intimidated by Seven, she and Seven had also developed a bond of sorts. "What is the reason for this line of questioning Jaxa?"

Jaxa blushed a little and lowered her face. "Oh, I'm just curious."

Seven narrowed her eyes. "You graduate, get commissioned, and go to your first Starfleet assignment within the next month. Are you concerned about these changes coming up in your life?"

Jaxa shrugged and looked away, not wanting to meet Seven's gaze.

"Are you wondering about your future, and your relationship with Icheb?" Seven asked.

Now Jaxa's face blushed further to a rosy glow. Of course she was, Seven concluded. Their first assignments were still unknown, traditionally announced the week before graduation and receiving their commission in Starfleet, but the most likely case would be aboard two different vessels in the fleet.

"Have you spoken to Icheb about this?" Seven asked.

Jaxa shrugged again. "Not yet, but… I don't know." She looked to the ground as if to find the answer there. "He seems convinced that we'll be assigned the same ship."

"And you're not so sure?"

"I've been talking to a lot of cadets. Some do think that those in the top of the class get their first choice. But many think the dream sheet is all for show."

"What does Icheb say about that?"

"I don't know. We get along so well together, and we have fun. I don't want to ruin it all if he's not thinking like that. We're still young, and…" There now. She had finally said it. Well, most of it anyway. Jaxa looked at Seven to measure her reaction.

Seven seemed to be thinking something over in her head as she looked in the direction of the playground where Ixchell played. Then she turned to Jaxa and looked her in the eyes. "I know Icheb cares a great deal for you," she said soothingly. "You _are_ both young, but it is good to talk these things through. My suggestion is to be honest with him and tell him how you feel. The truth is always the best."

"But we're so different. How do you know when it will work?" Jaxa blurted out. She was surprised at herself, but happy to be talking to someone about these thoughts. Everything was happening so fast. In a month, she would be a Starfleet officer, assigned to who knows where. Icheb might be sectors away.

"Differences are irrelevant. Look at Chakotay and myself."

"You seem so compatible."

"Yes, of course. Compatibility is completely separate from similarity. Chakotay and I share common interests, but in many ways, Chakotay and I are very different. Consider our spiritual beliefs. As you know, spirituality is very important to Chakotay. It is at the core of who he is. For me, I am uncertain, and my Borg physiology prevents me from participating in the vision quests he deems so important."

"You seem so supportive. And Icheb has Borg technology within him and still seeks guidance from his animal guide."

"Icheb has far less Borg technology inside him than I. The point is, though, I respect Chakotay's beliefs. In fact, I treasure them. And Chakotay respects my beliefs. Despite my Borg past, he accepts me for who I am. We accept the other, and marvel in both the similarities and the differences. If you love each other for whom each of you are, and not who you want the other to be, then it will work, regardless of the differences."

Seven glanced at Ixchell, and then moved off the bench to take the toddler's sandy hand out of her mouth. The baby cooed, and Seven swooped her up in her arms. She lovingly hugged her daughter and smiled. Ixchell seemed to glow in her attention.

"Come," Seven said to Jaxa. "Let us go get a quick meal before I have to take you back to the Academy."

Jaxa nodded and stood to join Seven. Ixchell was lucky to have Commander Hansen as her mother, she thought to herself. It was so nice having Seven and Chakotay back in system for this time before graduation. Messaging over sub-space was simply not enough.

She fell into step behind Seven who proceeded down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, Ixchell held in one arm on her hip. Jaxa admired Seven immensely, and a corner of Jaxa's mind whispered to her that she was lucky to have Commander Hansen as well.

Next chapter - Bridges


	2. Chapter 2 - Bridges

# Chapter 2 - Bridges

"Did you read those stories I sent you last week?" Jaxa said as she and Chakotay headed down the trail, Ixchell securely held in the pack on Chakotay's back.

"Yes. I haven't read them all though."

"There's another one I found. It relates an old Bajoran myth about the origin of the orbs."

"Let's hear it."

Jaxa took a few steps to organize her thoughts before starting in. "OK, so the prophets announced they were going to distribute the orbs to the group of original vedeks in the morning. One of the vedeks wanted to get to the meeting place first in order to receive the most powerful of the orbs, so he planned to stay up the entire night. If he was first, he would receive the orb of wisdom, and be kai. Perhaps, he thought, he might wish to receive instead the orb of prophecy and become the oracle for the Bajoran people. He spent the night imagining the wonderful things he would do."

"I can see where this story is going," Chakotay said with a chuckle. They continued along the path that skirted the rim of the canyon. It was hot, and the scant vegetation offered no shade. He glanced up at the Sun and turned back to Jaxa. "Could you make sure Ixchell is shaded from this Sun?"

Jaxa moved forward and adjusted the shade attached to the pack in which Ixchell rode. "Looks good to me."

"Ixchell might have my dark hair, but she has fair skin like her mother." He reached back and let Ixchell grab his finger, and then he wiggled it until it broke free of her grasp. Ixchell laughed and reached again to grab his finger. After a little more play, he resumed his stride down the path. "So let me guess, it didn't quite work out the way the vedek thought it would."

"Exactly," Jaxa said excitedly. "He eventually fell asleep and overslept. He slept so long, in fact, that he missed the meeting with the prophets. When he finally awoke and arrived, all the orbs had been distributed. The prophets, however, took pity on him and created one final orb. The orb of paradoxes."

"Not one of the more important ones, I take it."

"It is often listed last, if at all. The vedek's name was Zala, and for lack of a better word, he is the trickster in Bajoran myths. Many stories like this one are very similar to stories associated with the various tricksters of Earth mythology – Loki, Coyote, Raven."

Chakotay nodded with a wide grin. "Yes, I read some of those stories. That's quite fascinating."

"Indeed, there is another story associated with Zala from supposedly before that meeting with the prophets about how he brought fire to Bajor that is remarkably similar to a story with Coyote from the North American west, just like how the orb origin story compares so closely with Coyote and the arrows."

"I grew up on those stories," Chakotay replied. He was going to miss these hikes with Jaxa when the _Sacagawea_'s upgrades were finally completed, which was going to be any day now. They had only been out for a few months when they were recalled to Earth for the retrofit. Fortunately, he had been able to delay their departure from Earth system until after Starfleet Academy's graduation. "There are many instances in Earth mythology where there are common story elements. A similar cast of characters, if you will."

"But those are all myths from the same species, originating from the same world," Jaxa said. She sped up her pace to walk beside Chakotay on the path. "Zala and Coyote are two characters from completely different species, on two different worlds separated by a hundred or more light years, and yet have similar stories."

Chakotay stopped and looked about and Jaxa stopped beside him. The surroundings were like that of a dozen other worlds he had visited in his lifetime. The deserts of Darvon had been remarkably similar to those of Earth. As he looked about, he could imagine himself looking down into the canyons of his youth. He then turned and placed his hand on Jaxa's shoulder saying, "I think it is a testament of how alike the people of Earth and the people of Bajor are, despite the great distance between our worlds. A similarity in our minds, our hearts, and in our souls."

"Not just Earth and Bajor, but Vulcan, Kronos… Brunali, and so many other worlds," Jaxa added. "We are all different, and yet so very much alike."

"It is quite remarkable when you really think about it. Evolution should produce a diversity as great as seen on a single planet, from sentient tube worms to blue whales. And yet, there are so many humanoid-like species throughout the galaxy. More surprising are all the instances of interspecies mating and the offspring from those unions."

Jaxa blushed a bit, but Chakotay didn't notice.

"Of course you have the Tholians, and the Sheliak, and a host of other species that are quite a bit more alien," Chakotay continued. "For the most part, however, we live in a galaxy filled with a multitude of sentient species who are unquestionably alike. Have you read the papers describing Dr. Richard Galen's discoveries in micropaleontology and the 4.5 billion year old DNA code?"

"Yes, we spent several weeks discussing that research in my archeology course at the Academy."

"Fascinating work, don't you think?"

Jaxa nodded. She was pleased. She enjoyed her discussions with Chakotay, particularly when they spoke of myths and history and the blurring between the two. Chakotay, and in his own way Icheb, had ignited that curiosity in her mind. She wished to understand the religions and myths of her people. Not with a blind faith, but with an open mind in order to understand her own origins. The worship of wormhole aliens or any other distant deity was unnecessary in her opinion, but through an understanding of her origins, she hoped that perhaps she would better understand her place in the universe.

Suddenly Chakotay stopped and pointed along the canyon rim. "Look! Speaking of Coyote, there he is now."

Sure enough, a lone coyote was walking casually away, hoping from rock to rock. It turned to glance in their direction, and then disappeared behind a boulder. Jaxa and Chakotay turned to look at one another, each with a wide grin.

The path now dipped below the canyon wall and continued down on a ledge along a cliff face. A natural archway, their destination, loomed ahead and below them. Technically, the formation was called a natural bridge, having been formed long ago by running water. The river glistened in the distance and below them as well, now carving out a different channel than the one which had formed the bridge. Chakotay had started again down the trail, Ixchell cooing and enjoying the bouncing ride, and Jaxa followed.

With the move down into the canyon, the trail now offered welcome shade. They stopped for a short break and drank some water. They had encountered no one else yet on their hike, besides that coyote, and the surrounding country was devoid of structures, or technology, or anything of the 24th century - an island of undisturbed landscape. It reminded Jaxa of a question she had been meaning to ask Chakotay since her conversation with Seven the previous week.

"I've been wondering some more about your time with the Ventu," she said.

"It's funny," Chakotay responded. "I do think of them often, particularly on hikes like this."

"I was talking to Commander Hansen last week, about the beginnings of your romance." Jaxa paused for a moment, but Chakotay seemed unfazed. Indeed she was curious. In Chakotay and Seven's relationship, she saw parallels between Icheb and herself. Her future with Icheb had been on her mind of late, so she plunged ahead. "What I was wondering is if you feel it was your shared experience with them that got things started between you and Commander Hansen?" She felt much more comfortable with Chakotay, but wasn't quite sure how he would take this sort of personal question. Her desire to know, however, overpowered her trepidations.

Chakotay laughed. "Huh." He stopped and turned to face Jaxa, a big grin on his face as he recollected that time with Seven. "I suppose so. But you know, in retrospect, I think it started well before then. At the time, I told myself I wanted to get Seven to open up and socialize more with the crew. I would go out of my way to encourage her to explore her humanity, develop deeper relationships with the crew, and get her involved in _Voyager_'s social activities. I realize now, however, that I was really just making excuses to be closer to her. I think I always, at some level, have enjoyed her company. I recall a time just after an incident with a Hirogen hunter who was tracking a member of Species 8472 on _Voyager_ when I spoke with her afterwards about her involvement in the incident." Chakotay paused and considered further. "At the end of our conversation, I felt compelled to touch her hand, to connect with her in some way. If I thought hard, I'm sure I could come up with earlier instances. I think that time on the planet with the Ventu simply opened my eyes to what was before me all along."

"An epiphany," Jaxa said softly. She had been studying Earth religions and mythology, and had recently come across this word. The universal translator had trouble with this word for her, and she had to dig deeper to discover its multiple meanings. She could definitely relate to one of the meanings of this word. In recent weeks, Jaxa had also had an epiphany, quite similar, in fact, to Chakotay's all those years ago on _Voyager_.

"We better keep moving," Chakotay said, bringing Jaxa out of her reverie. "Seven and Icheb will be waiting for us and I want to make it to the bridge and back before it's time to beam back home."

Next chapter – Recipes and Compositions


	3. Chapter 3 - Recipes and Compositions

# Chapter 3 – Recipes and Compositions

"I have no experience with the process," Seven answered, "having not graduated from StarfleetAcademy myself."

"When you were an instructor, did you learn anything about the assignment process?" Icheb asked, trying a different angle.

"No. I unfortunately did not develop a rapport with any of my students. They all seemed apprehensive around me. I attended graduation as part of the faculty, but that is the extent of my involvement."

Icheb idly pressed keys on the piano as he spoke to Seven about his upcoming graduation and first assignment.

"If you would allow me to give you a lesson, I could teach you how to play," Seven added before returning to the preparation of the upcoming meal. She found a curious joy in the preparation of food for consumption, and Chakotay was such a willing subject to test her various creations. For today's meal, however, she was sticking to a familiar favorite.

"On the assignment request form," Icheb said, "I listed the identical assignments as Jaxa. We chose some of the larger ships in the fleet that typically accept multiple Academy graduates per year."

Seven completed mixing the various cheeses she had selected and checked on the noodles that were boiling and the vegetables simmering in the tomato sauce. She tasted the sauce and then added a little more cilantro to the pot. "I do not think that guarantees the two of you will obtain an assignment on the same vessel."

"Did I mention we have both applied for school slots after our first three-year assignments?"

"Yes you did."

Icheb nodded and returned to poking at the piano keys. He played the low notes and the sound spoke of an approaching storm. Seven smiled to herself at the apt comparison.

"Icheb, you have been brooding all afternoon and have been of no assistance. Initiate discipline protocol number five," Seven said with an exaggerated look of consternation.

Icheb stopped and looked at Seven in astonishment. Then he shook his head slightly and replied "You are attempting to be funny."

"I'm working on it" she said with a smile and returned to her work. She looked up briefly and added, "I heard recently about how you and Jaxa go Swing-Klang Fusion dancing each week."

Icheb perked up a bit. "We do. Supposedly I'm the lead and Jaxa follows, but in truth I think it works out the other way around."

"You like dancing then?"

Icheb hesitated. "I do like dancing with Jaxa. In all honesty, when I attempt to dance with anyone else, it does not go well."

Seven smiled. She had similar experiences with Chakotay. Before Icheb could start at the piano again, Seven interjected "could you go to the terminal and select some music for the evening. Perhaps some Swing-Klang Fusion?"

Icheb shook his head as he stood and moved to the nearby home computer terminal. "I do not think that music selection would be conducive to enjoyable dinner conversation."

He activated the screen and listed the available selections. His eyes fell on a group of piano arrangements performed by Seven herself. He often played this when home alone, and was about to tap the screen when Seven said, "not that one. Please select something else."

He glanced back in Seven's direction. She was preparing a pan for the ingredients. How could she have possibly known his intention, he wondered, and returned to the list. Scrolling down he came to Daro's "The Planets Suite." The famous Bolian composer had written songs for many of the principal planets in the Federation in the style of Earth's classical period. Although "Betazoid" was considered her best work, Icheb particularly liked "Vulcan." He decided on that set of compositions and started to return to the piano bench.

"Icheb, make yourself useful and start assembling the beverages for the four of us. Fill some water glasses and start some tea to have it ready for those who want it."

"With the replicator or should I boil water?"

"Boil the water and we'll use the strainers," Seven replied irritated. She tried to avoid the replicator when she could. "There's an empty burner here. Set up on the balcony. It's turning into a beautiful evening."

Icheb turned and moved to the kitchen with Seven. She had drained the pasta and was now layering it, the cheeses, and the vegetables into the baking pan. He now recognized it as vegetable lasagna, one of Chakotay's favorites. He filled a kettle with water and placed it on the burner and then moved to get glasses for the drinks.

"Jaxa and I are both near the top of our class," he said, obviously still thinking about the upcoming first assignments. "It only makes sense that we will get our top choice."

Icheb was actually the top graduating cadet in his class, both here at the Academy and at all the various other satellite campuses, and Jaxa was in the top ten percent. Although both physics majors, Icheb had concentrated on trans-warp field theory and engine design, a specialty where Seven was one of the Federation's leading experts, and Jaxa had taken classes on piloting and navigation. Seven said nothing and completed assembling the lasagna and placed it in the oven. Twenty minutes would suffice. She checked the time and nodded satisfactorily. Chakotay and Jaxa were due back just a little before then.

"And I expect we will both get the school slots and plan to attend the same university for our advanced degree in three years," he concluded. He carried the water glasses to the table on the balcony that extended to the west off the living area and placed them at the four seats. The view of the bay below from this balcony was one of his favorites, and so he lingered. The native oak that grew nearby provided welcome shade from the afternoon sun. Icheb had spent many days here in Chakotay and Seven's house, it serving as his home as well when away from the Academy. Even during these past few months with Chakotay and Seven away, he often spent time here. Now with him graduating, Seven and Chakotay had decided to vacate the house and put their few personal items in storage. With them away on the _Sacagawea_, it made little sense to keep the house and they wanted to make it available to someone else.

"You and Jaxa have big changes ahead of you," Seven offered, joining him on the balcony. "You should speak to Chakotay about this assignment process. He might have more insights than I." She placed a hand on Icheb's shoulder and added, "and you should speak to Jaxa. It sounds like the two of you should discuss all the various possibilities that might happen."

"This is all so similar to when _Voyager_ returned to Earth," Icheb reflected. "After so long of working on obtaining a singular goal, suddenly it is complete and the future is uncertain. I do not like these transitions. It would be nice to skip over them and get back into a routine again. How about you?"

"Transitions are a part of living."

"But what helped you most during the transition when we got to Earth?"

Seven looked out across the bay and pondered her response. "Chakotay and I had each other," she finally said. There was something more, however, and she struggled to form it into a coherent thought. It had been nagging at her since her conversation with Jaxa the week before. Something important, learned from not only the transition to life in the alpha quadrant, but from the more difficult transition of becoming an individual again. "Your experience with the Borg was limited," she said. "You were in a maturation chamber and so did not participate in the assimilation of ships and worlds."

Icheb remained quiet. In recent years Seven had stopped speaking of her experiences while a Borg drone. She preferred not to talk about it. Indeed, it was as if it was another life. A lot had changed in a short time – she was now married, she was a mother, and she was a respected officer in Starfleet. And yet, even with all these changes, her Borg past was always there and would always be a part of her.

"I witnessed," Seven continued, and then hesitated. The demons in her memories began to stir. "No, I participated in the extinguishment of billions of individual personalities, out of a perverse drive for perfection. All their thoughts, hopes, and dreams homogenized to conform to that of the Collective. I was of a singular mind then, and how I hate to think of that time now."

Seven turned to Icheb and he flinched at the intensity of her gaze. "Time is precious. Your time in this universe is fleeting when the whole of the universe exists in the confines of your own unique consciousness where you can learn and grow and love."

Seven closed her eyes and placed her hands on the balcony's railing. Icheb was transfixed. Seven rarely let down her guard to display such raw emotions.

"I can't tell you how grateful I am to Admiral Janeway for taking a chance with me after I was disconnected from the Collective," she said. "With each passing year, I still wrestle with my past as a Borg drone, and I appreciate my individuality all the more. Transitions or not, it has impressed upon me that you must live each day, each moment, with a purpose and cherish the time you have while you can."

Next chapter – Connected.


	4. Chapter 4 - Connected

# Chapter 4 - Connected

Icheb and Chakotay stood in the center of a clearing at the crest of a small hill so familiar to both. The trees still allowed expansive views in each direction and the grass was still meticulously cut. Icheb had come here most every Friday, after classes were complete, to contemplate or seek guidance from his animal guide in a vision quest.

"It hasn't changed much," Chakotay remarked, and turned to take in the full view from the small rise. "I discovered this place my first semester here at the Academy, and came each week just as you have. It has been nearly thirty years, and yet I still feel connected to this spot."

"I have often wondered why it is not more frequently visited," Icheb remarked. "The Academy groundskeepers obviously manicure the area, yet in my three years here, it was only that one time with Jaxa that I've seen another cadet in this part of the woods."

"That was a fortunate meeting," Chakotay said. He sat down on the grass in the center of the clearing and motioned for Icheb to sit as well. Icheb followed and sat across from him.

"I do not have any evidence to support this supposition, but sometimes I feel as if a force is guiding me and helping me make certain decisions. I look back on that day, when I first met Jaxa, as such an important turning point. It's hard to explain. Perhaps that is why I continue with these vision quests."

"I have received great insights during some of my vision quests as well. I do believe they offer a connection to our ancestors and the spiritual world beyond the physical. Whether that is actually true, or they are simple examinations of our subconscious minds, as we've discussed before, their usefulness even on that level shouldn't be dismissed."

"I agree," Icheb said. "I offered to guide Jaxa on a vision quest once, but she wasn't interested."

Chakotay nodded and smiled inwardly. Jaxa didn't seem too far from any of their conversations this afternoon.

"What's interesting, however," Icheb continued, "is that she is still very much interested in discussing with me my thoughts and experiences with the vision quests. She has such keen insights and it is pleasurable to talk to her."

"Really," Chakotay replied, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.

Icheb turned to look again towards the bay and said "I find more often than not now, I come to this place to simply meditate and contemplate the events in my life."

"That is good too. It is important to understand the events happening in your life and not simply let them happen to you. If you stop paying attention, before you know it, your life has slipped away like sand through your fingers."

Chakotay gestured to the rest of the clearing and woods. "This may very well be your last time here for quite some time," he said. "You meet with your SOC in just a few hours to receive your assignment, and then you graduate and get commissioned in under a week. In two or three weeks, you will be headed by transport to a vessel in the fleet to begin the next three years of your life."

Icheb nodded solemnly. "I've been meaning to ask you about the assignment process."

"Ah, the infamous dream sheets," Chakotay replied. "In my day, we suspected they were simply a panacea so we felt we had some say in the decision process."

Icheb blanched. "Is that really true?"

Chakotay laughed. "Oh, I don't think so. I've never worked with Personnel Resources, so don't know how the process works. They do make you list your top five choices, however, and not just one."

Icheb looked down at the ground between them. "So it is possible I could get any one of the five choices I listed."

"Or something else entirely. In my graduating class, I had a few friends who were assigned a vessel they had not even put on their dream sheet. It's really up to Resources. They always try to accommodate married couples and other situations related to individual needs, but it's meeting the needs of Starfleet that takes precedence."

"What do you mean by individual needs?"

"Well, for instance, there are some non-humanoid officers in Starfleet, but they are restricted to a few vessels that are equipped to accommodate their physical needs."

"Oh. I suppose that would also apply to Cadet Gar. He's Breen and wears an environmental suit while here on Earth."

Chakotay looked surprised, and Icheb quickly added, "There are several non-Federation cadets at the Academy. Ferengi, Cardassians. Even me, I suppose."

"Oh, I know. I think it's great. I was just surprised, it being so close to the end of the war with the Breen, and their attack of Starfleet headquarters." Indeed, the Dominion War had only ended six years before.

"He seems to get along well enough." He considered further and added, "there are still lingering animosities between many species. Jaxa doesn't seem to like or trust the Cardassian cadets."

Chakotay thought of Bajor and Cardassia Prime. Hopefully, in time, even those wounds would heal. The Federation continued to grow, and with it those old animosities faded. "It is good that Starfleet is open to all Federation worlds, as well as non-Federation planets."

"I think that is true for many of the Federation fleets and associated academies," Icheb offered. "There was a group of cadets from the Imperial War College on Andoria visiting last year, and in the group was a Vulcan and an Earther."

"That's wonderful. I have an officer who transferred from the Andorian Imperial Guard serving as my communications officer on the _Sacagawea_, as a matter of fact."

"I believe I met him at the gathering when the _Sacagawea_ first arrived in the Earth system. I've heard that most Andorians still prefer to serve in the Imperial Fleet."

"It's all part of the greater fleet serving the United Federation of Planets, of which Starfleet is just one component," Chakotay replied. "Chiin is the grandson of an Andorian General I've known since I was a cadet. I served for a summer on an Imperial Destroyer between my third and fourth years. A wonderful experience, although it took me weeks to thaw out afterwards. The General was the commanding officer, although he was a Colonel at the time, and we stayed in touch. When _Voyager_ returned from the delta quadrant, he contacted me again. His grandson was interested in seeking a cross-commission and serving on a Starfleet vessel, and he wondered if I was going to be in line for command."

"And so when you did receive command of the _Sacagawea_, you requested he be assigned to your ship?"

"Exactly. It's wise to keep a network of contacts during your career, and that can even start when you're a cadet. You never know what opportunities might present themselves. Chiin is one of my best officers."

Icheb absorbed this information. Indeed, he tried to keep in contact with some of _Voyager_'s former crew whom he knew who were now scattered about the quadrant. "I told Seven the other day how this transition is reminding me of when _Voyager_ finally returned to the alpha quadrant."

"How so?"

"I've heard a saying," Icheb said, and then closed his eyes to remember. "Something to do with closing a chapter in a book. That's how I feel. Of endings. Graduating from the Academy. You and Seven and I vacating our home. A chapter of my life is coming to an end."

"And so you turn the page to the next chapter and find your new beginning. You are starting your Starfleet career in an exciting age. The advent of trans-warp drive is opening up the rest of the galaxy to exploration. You have marvelous adventures awaiting you. "

"It is exciting to be a part of that," Icheb confessed. "A part of me, however, doesn't want things to change. I want it to stay just like it is now."

Chakotay reached down and picked off the fuzzy purple flower of a thistle and placed it in his hand.

"We can construct an exact replica out of plastic and it would look nearly identical, although to many, its essence will have been lost and it wouldn't hold the same beauty. It would be artificial and not _real_. Is it the ephemeral nature of this flower that also adds to its beauty? If all were immortal, and things stayed the same, would everything then necessarily become ordinary and mundane?"

Chakotay placed the flower on the ground between them. "Even as things change, we stay connected to places and people. Our life is a string of experiences connected together in time. I think the trick, with all the endings and beginnings, is to make sure you recognize what's important, and hold onto that from one chapter in your life to the next."

Next chapter – Icheb's Epiphany


	5. Chapter 5 - Icheb's Epiphany

# Chapter 5 – Icheb's Epiphany

"The _Stockholm_?" Icheb said slowly. He sat in StarfleetAcademy's main library. The floor was deserted save for Jaxa and himself, it being so close to graduation. They often came together to this same spot for studying and had decided to meet here after their appointments to receive their assignment with their respective SOCs. The late afternoon sun provided a soft glow to the entire room.

"I think Captain Chakotay and Commander Hansen have a good friend who's the _Stockholm_'s captain," Jaxa replied, sitting down across the small table from Icheb. "I'll be one of the pilot/navigators."

"Captain Tuvok, I believe," Icheb said absently.

"That's him. He served with them on _Voyager_. I guess you know him too."

Icheb nodded.

"What ship did you get?" Jaxa inquired after an extended silence.

"I'm assigned to engineering on the _Enterprise_."

Jaxa tried to brighten. "The flagship. That's impressive. Just one or two Academy graduates are picked for that posting each year."

Icheb's mood remained dark. "I didn't even list the _Enterprise_ on my form fifty-five."

"I don't think anyone gets their top choice on their dream list."

"It wasn't even on my dream list," Icheb repeated. He was clearly unhappy. "In what sector is the _Stockholm_ assigned?"

"I'm not sure. I think along the Romulan Neutral Zone. What about the _Enterprise_?"

"The _Enterprise_ is going to lead the task force exploring the new protectorate areas on the frontier in the Delta Quadrant." Icheb said unenthusiastically. He was finding it hard to look into Jaxa's eyes.

"Well," Jaxa offered, trying to stay positive. "We both got school slots for our next assignment."

Icheb was unfazed. He knew for certain he wanted to be with Jaxa, and had somehow avoided thinking of the future without her until this moment. The one thought that reverberated in his head was that he was now running out of time. School slots in three years? That was an eternity. Perhaps it wasn't too late to rework his assignment. Perhaps Captain Tuvok could even be enlisted to help his cause. Snippets of conversations with Seven and Chakotay echoed in his mind. Time was precious, and he had to hold onto those things, and those people, who were most important to him.

"Jaxa," Icheb said.

Jaxa's heart skipped a beat. There was something in the way Icheb had said her name that implied a question and a meaning much deeper than that single word. She had resigned herself these past weeks that it was for the best. If it was meant to be, they would get back together sometime. In three years, perhaps. Something about Icheb's intonation of her name now turned those thoughts on end.

"Yes?" she responded.

Icheb finally looked into Jaxa's eyes. She looked back expectantly, and within her vivid green eyes swirled a multitude of impressions and emotions - kindness, acceptance, and love. How could he possibly consider letting her go, even if just for three years? When you find that one person who completes your existence, who gives meaning to the emptiness, you must act. Act quickly and with all your heart.

Icheb reached out and held both her hands in his. "I don't want us to ever be apart," he finally said. And in saying it, he acknowledged the depth of his love for her.

"Yes." Jaxa said again. This time, however, not as a question but as the answer.

#

THE END

AUTHOR'S POSTSCRIPT: Thank you scifiromance for your comments on the first two chapters. Your encouragement is very much appreciated! I decided to post the last three chapters all at once since they are essentially complete. I'm sure no one was surprised…

As scifiromance pointed out, I tried to tie in references to several C/7 fanfiction pre-Endgame stories. So, what happens in these stories is very similar to what happens in this timeline, although of course the original authors to the stories can diverge at any point in what direction they want to go. The stories include: XXDragons-ShadowXX "What is to Laugh" (Stardate 51018.2), Anniexus's "There but for Chance" (Stardate 51199.9), scifiromance's "Independence" (Stardate 51653.8), Monomania's "Cultural Studies" (Stardate 52847.3 – so now we know for sure, at least in this timeline), scifiromance's "Persistent Emotions" (Stardate 54699.1), and Laura Schiller's "Strawberries" (Stardate 54855.7). Also, while not quite in this timeline, NikkiB1973's "Seeking Seven of Nine" establishes Chakotay's love of lasagna. Also, references to ST:VOY episodes "The Raven" (Stardate 51199.2), "Prey" (Stardate 51652.3), "Ashes to Ashes" (Stardate ), "Human Error" (Stardate 54682.3), "Natural Law" (Stardate 54827.7), and ST:TNG episode "The Chase" (Stardate 46731.5)


End file.
